Coffee in my Jelly, Jelly in my Coffee!

I'll let you in on a secret...Something exciting is happening in TWO DAYS!

Here's a clue: it's silky smooth and sweet and you'll surely get addicted to it.

Beginning July 2, Starbucks Coffee will be launching a line of cold drinks highlighting the new and velvety smooth Dark Roast Coffee Jelly.

Take a sip and you'll feel as if you're in coffee heaven as you enjoy the rich, creamy coffee blend together with the soft and velvety jelly gently gliding down your throat.

This new line-up includes the Dark Roast Coffee Jelly Frappuccino, the Iced Vanilla Dark Roast Coffee Jelly Caffe Latte and my personal favorite, the Caramel Dark Roast Coffee Jelly Frappuccino.

Coffee Pairings

Of course, your coffee experience would not be complete without enjoying any of these delectable sweet and savory treats! Everything was so good that I actually forgot to take some photos. Thanks to the Starbucks Coffee team for supplying us with beautiful shots of their new items.

Have a sweet tooth? Indulge to your heart's content in the Very Berry Cheesecake. It's home-baked style cheesecake topped with cranberries, blueberries and raspberries. It's a feel good dessert which is perfect while camping away from the rain.

Meanwhile, my dear fiance who's an ultimate chocoholic, loved the Chocolate Marshmallow Cake which have layers of melt-in-your-mouth devil's chocolate cake and chocolate chip fudge filling covered in caramelized marshmallow icing. The icing is so light that it takes away the guilt after eating an entire slice.

For savory goodness, I personally liked the Farmhouse Cheese Quiche, which my former colleague Celine claims to be semi-Vegetarian. Every bite is truly delightful as I enjoyed the smooth, velvety texture of the egg mixed with fresh vegetables and lots of cheese.

Another favorite was the Spanish Sausage and Egg Wrap. Craving for something spicy and meaty? You'll definitely enjoy this one as it consists of tender pork sausage, onions, tomatoes and seasoned with Spanish spices. I'm looking forward to having this for one of my lunch at the office.

Other upcoming food items are the Chicken Parmesan on Turkish Pide Bread and the Zucchini Carrot and Honey Raisin Loaf.

Truly, the Green Siren continues to amaze us with its delicious and mouthwatering selections. Two more days to go!!!

This promotion will run from July 2 - September 14, 2009.


Starbucks Coffee has a total of 156 branches nationwide.

The Country's Bestselling Home Magazine turns SIX!!!

Don't your just loveeeee our beautiful cover?
Beginning this July, Real Living has added more pages to give you additional home tips, more real home features and loads of tidbits for the kitchen too!

Check it out as yours truly joined the editorial team during the birthday shoot! (hahaha!)

Grab a copy now! :)

Xie Xie....Salamat.... Danke.... THANK YOU

Just the best way to end a great week! :)

After a year and 9 months of existence, Frannywanny.com has finally reached its 60k mark! wahoooo!!

click to enlarge

Thank you readers :) *hugs*

Lechon Lunch

I got a treat for lunch today :)

Normally, lunch at work would consist of a sandwich and a piece of banana. This is part of my ongoing campaign to eat healthy. Well, I took a break today.

Joining a couple of colleagues as we made a trip to Quezon City to try a certain restaurant, a big brown signage caught my eye the moment we arrived at the venue, Sabroso: Incredibly flavourful lechon , it read. In an instant, I recognized the restaurant as as this has been mentioned a couple of times by my good friend Jane.

Who can ever say no to lechon..most especially one so crispy and mouthwatering?

Standing outside the restaurant, we unanimously decided to give it a try and to have lechon as an appetizer. Since we didn't want to fill our stomachs up right away, we ordered a one-fourth kilo (Php. 140) of crispy lechon to share.

Service was quick, it took them less then five minutes to bring the platter of lechon to our table. We surveyed the crispy, shiny lechon skin that covered up the rest of the tender-looking pork meat platter.

It was the first time that I actually had lechon as an appetizer and without an occasion. Since lechon, a local roasted suckling pig dish, is a main staple in celebrations such as birthdays, family reunions even Christmas parties, I'm glad that Sabroso offers smaller servings for those who just wants to satisfy their sudden lechon cravings.

I can't wait to go back soon and hopefully be able to try their Lechonero Meal which is a great deal at Php 120. This meal includes a good serving of lechon, fragrant rice, soup and lemongrass iced tea.

I'll definitely be back, Sabroso!

Sabroso is located along E.Rodriguez ave. corner Tomas Morato. They deliver for free within San Juan, QC and New Manila. Call them at 515-8259 or 515-8253.

It's BACK!!!!

A wonderful good morning text greeted me this morning and I knew I have to make a trip to McDonald's today, no matter what.


How I wish this can be part of the core line-up but then again, this is what makes the Twister Fries so special. The fact that we have to patiently wait for it to be available once a year and we make sure to indulge and enjoy this to our heart's content before it disappears again.

Thank you McDonald's for making my day!! :)

Taco Bell, Olé!

Often times, I crave for the most unexpected things. Take today for instant, I woke up craving for pork machang, which is a triangular-shaped dimsum that is made of brown glutinous rice mixed with pork, chicken and shiitake mushroom. I can't stop thinking about this on my way to work even imagining adding tomato ketchup on top of my machang. The craving stayed on all day that the moment I got to the car, I asked my mom if we can drop by the Little Store for some machang on our way home.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself craving for Mexican food. This brought about three consecutive visits to a mexican restaurant in my neighborhood and a quick fix at Taco Bell.

Surveying their menu board, I noticed that they have a new addition to their already mouthwatering line-up. It's called the Cheesy Gordita Crunch (Php. 99) which looks like a taco but is wrapped in white tortilla bread. It got me wondering what it tastes like that I got that together with my favorite Nachos Supreme (Php. 69) and some Churros (Php. 49) for dessert.

As soon as my Gordita Crunch arrived at the table, I unwrapped it and took a small bite. I love the mix of the hard, crunchy taco shell and the soft, chewy tortilla bread. They also didn't scrimp on the filling as my Gordita Crunch was literally bursting with ground beef, veggies and lots of cheese! There's one thing missing though, I wish they have added some sour cream to give it a complete Mexican feel.

I love Taco Bell's Nacho Supreme. First of all, the chips has just the right crisp and saltiness which perfectly blended well with the sour cream, cheese, tomatoes and beef. This is my favorite comfort mexican food.

It was actually my first time to try Taco Bell's Churros and I'm glad I did. I shared this with my friends K and M who both enjoyed our simple Mexican fiesta that afternoon. Too bad the serving was pretty small but since we ate so much, it turned out just right for the three of us. One order of Churros will give you 5 bite-size pieces and a small container filled with rich, dark chocolate sauce. Eat the Churros while it's hot to enjoy the crunchy, a bit oily goodness of this dessert.

How I wish Taco Bell would have more branches around the Metro. Luckily, Gateway Mall is not so far from my place but it would still be nice to have one that's just a stone-throw away.

Taco Bell has two branches at the Gateway Mall (Ground Floor and Food Express) as well as in TriNoMa.

Thursday Club series: Pizzeria Toscana

It all began one night at a casual Italian restaurant in Ortigas where four girl bloggers (and a super game, cheese-loving guy *peace Chris! hehe*) agreed to meet up to finally attach a face to the names often seen in the blogosphere. Since then, they would go around town trying out new restaurants and at times inviting more common friends to join them. Over good food and a million stories shared back and forth, the Thursday Club was born.

Every other Thursday, the group will meet in a different restaurant chosen by one of the members. This week it was Didi's turn and to satisfy our pizza craving, we chose to dine at Pizzeria Toscana.

It has been more than a year since my last visit and it still has the same cozy ambiance that I truly enjoyed before. The photos of celebrities enjoying a plate of pasta are still present but there's also an addition of framed write-ups from the country's leading food and lifestyle magazines. This just goes to show that Pizzeria Toscana is not a secret anymore.

A Magical Dinner

While waiting for our order, the owner's 11-year-old son Miguel entertained us with a few of his magic tricks. I got to say -- this kid has talent! He has successfully amazed us with his card tricks which prompted Jane to also reveal her hidden talent. :) After a few more tricks, our pizza and pasta have arrived.

We got the Pizza Rustica (Php. 310) which is a thin-crusted pizza with anchovies, pimiento and black olives. It has successfully married the saltiness of the anchovies and the sweet and sour flavor of the pimient. I also like it that the pizza is not at all soggy with olive oil.

While the pizza was good, the highlight of my dinner was the Salmone Pasta (Php. 260). It's a cream based pasta with smoked salmon. It reminded us of Sab, the fourth member of the Thursday Club, who loves cream-based pasta!

The noodles were cooked perfectly al dente and the amount of cream added was just enough. It was just right to perk up the flavor without making the dish too rich or too bland. I also love the bits of salmon added but it would have been better if they added smoked salmon with caviar too! ;) Then again, this might bring the price way way higher.

After dinner, we stayed and talked about work, Didi's upcoming wedding and a lot more. Before we know it, the servers were quietly pulling up chairs from the tables beside ours which signals that the restaurant is closing. We left and promised to see each other again next Thursday.

Pizzeria Toscana is located at the G/F Dunville Condominium, 1 Castilla st., New Manila in Quezon City. You may contact them at 411-3550.

Can you spell R-E-P-E-A-T?

From the group that brought us Avenue Q and Hairspray, comes another interesting musical production that is sure to tickle our funny bone as we watch six young individuals in the midst of puberty battling each other out in a spelling bee that will teach them that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.

The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee will run from July 3 to 12, 2009 at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater in the RCBC Tower, Makati.

Here's the list of ticket sellers according to the official website of the Atlantis Productions:


Additional info:
July 4, 8pm show: contact Spotlight Manila

Welcome to my Neighborhood

When in the mood to go on a Chinese food trip but is too lazy to drive all the way to Manila, why don't you just hop over to San Juan.

Here's a simple guide as you embark on a different Chinese food trip around my neighborhood. Enjoy!! :)

Neighborhoods: San Juan

A Yellow Cab birthday

It was the day after my birthday and my friend and former colleague Ding invited us to a fun pizza and pasta party at the new Yellow Cab store in Glorietta 5.

Despite that it was raining the whole day, we still made it a point to go all the way to Makati for dinner. After all, how can you ever say no to pizza?

It has been almost a year since I last saw Ding and there were a lot of catching up needed to be done. Dinner began with a platter of crunchy Tortilla Chips with two types of dips -- Tomato Salsa or Cheese Jalapeño. While Janey preferred the Cheese Jalapeño, I enjoyed dipping my chips into the Tomato Salsa which has chunks of juicy sweet tomatoes.

Yellow Cab is known of its pizza but they got really good side dishes too! We love the Hot Wings (Php. 195) which is a different take from the traditional Buffalo Wings. Instead of coating it with chili sauce, Yellow Cab's Hot Wings is deep fried and marinated in their signature spicy sauce.

The Twice-Baked Potato Halves (Php. 195) is also something worth ordering. If you love baked potatoes, then you'll definitely fall for this. It is served piping hot with lots of cheese, bacon, sour cream and chives. At first glance, it somehow reminded us of the Hong Kong egg tart that I had last month because it is baked to perfection giving it a golden yellow finish.

The stars of the show

For years, we have grown to love and continuously crave of Yellow Cab's Charlie Chan's Pasta. Guess what?! Now, there's another pasta option that will also perfectly go well with your pizza!

We were introduced to the new Chicken Alfredo Pasta which is a cream-based pasta added with a touch of pesto from the basil, meaty chicken chunks and juicy olives. I can still remember the delighted look on Didi's face when she saw the olives (teehee)!

I really enjoyed the pasta and I'm glad that the Greenhills store is one of the five stores that will initially carry this. Other branches include: Mall of Asia, Glorietta 5, People Support and Alabang.

Of course, a visit to Yellow Cab will never be complete without pizza! Ding asked us to choose our favorites which wasn't so difficult because the group unanimously voted for the Roasted Garlic & Shrimp (RGS) and the Corona Chicken Salsa (CCS) pizzas. I've been a fan of the RGS for years. Whenever we would order pizza in the office, this would always be my default choice.

Thanks to Phoebe who recommended the CCS, I now have a second favorite! The Corona Chicken Salsa is perfect for those who wants their pizza to have a bit of the Southern touch. As the pizza was served, Ding immediately squeezed a fresh slice of lime on the pizza. It has just the right amount of southern spice which complemented the chicken chunks and a generous amount of oozing cheese.

The Finale

We were so full that I even considered taking a stroll before heading home. This was before Ding gave us half a pint of ice cream (Php. 95) each. Since it was difficult to choose a flavor, Paul and I got two of our favorite flavors to share -- Strawberry and Pistachio. The ice cream was so smooth as it gently glided down my throat. I love the tin can which I'm currently re-using as a container for my paper clips.

A pizza party with the greatest friends on earth...I couldn't ask for more ;)

*photos by Paul Ang
**thanks to Ding of Yellow Cab!*waves*

when ALFALFA meets DARLA in the CAB

"You are so beautiful to me...can't you see...
you're everything I hope for..you're everything that I need"
Who can ever forget The Little Rascals? Remember cute little Alfalfa dressed in a crisp tailored shirt with a hair sticking out at the back of his neatly combed 'do singing this lil off-key song to Darla who fluttered her adorable lashes at her young suitor?

Yellow Cab Pizza Co. is bringing back memories of our childhood with their newest pizza creation called Dear Darla (10"=Php. 275, 14"=Php. 435, 18"=Php. 595)!

pretty Phoebe as Yellow Cab's newest endorser ;)
What makes Dear Darla different from the regular Yellow Cab pizzas that we all love is that it's actually a thin crust pizza served with a generous amount of arugula (my favorite!) and alfalfa sprouts. To eat this, you have to add the veggies inside, drizzle it with chili oil, roll it up and ENJOY!

The Dear Darla pizza is available in all Yellow Cab branches in Metro Manila.

How to make the best Burrito in town...the Ristras way

When faced with a wide array of choices in making your Burrito (Php. 290), here's a step-by-step guide on how to make the best burrito that will leave you craving for more...the Ristras Mexican Grill way.

First: Choose which rice you would like to have -- Cilantro Wild Rice or Chorizo Brown Rice. If both seems mouthwatering for you, then have both!


Second: Go meat crazy! Choose from Chicken (marinaded for hours in Jalapeno marinade), Steak (marinaded for hours in Chipotle Adobo then grilled to perfection), Carnitas (naturally raised pork seasoned with the best spices then braised for our hours), or my personal favorite -- Barbacoa (shredded beef, slow braised with chipotle adobo, cumin, cloves and a lot more!). Otherwise, go Vegetarian (a mix of guacamole, vegetarian black beans, sauteed peppers and onions)


Third: Watch them pile your Burrito high! Allow them to go crazy as they add crunchy bell peppers, salsa, onions, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, corn, cheese and more!!


Fourth: Pair it with some chips or a bottle of ice cold beer! I love the Chips and Guacamole (Php. 95) which is actually good for sharing.

Lastly: ENJOY!! :) Nothing beats indulging in something that is made from the freshest and finest ingredients.

An interesting trivia: Ristras Mexican Grill is a sister-restaurant of my two other favorites -- Cyma and Charlie's!

Ristras Mexican Grill is located along J. Abad Santos cor. Lopez Jaena street, San Juan City.

My Sister's Keeper

If there's one thing in this world that I am thankful for, it's that of having a sister. Sure, we used to stage a World War when we were kids to the point of me wishing that I should have been an only child.

However, during one of those fights, our mom told me one thing that has stayed permanently in my mind since then... "No matter what happens, the two of you have to stick together because someday, it will just be the two of you against the world.

Just recently, I read this novel called My Sister's Keeper it's a story about a young girl named Anna who was born to save her sister who's sick with Leukemia. As her sister grew weaker and weaker, more things are needed from Anna's own body. At a young age of thirteen, she has been through countless surgeries, shots and various medical procedures. Anna had enough, she finally made a decision that might tear her family apart and could lead to fatal consequences for her very own sister.

This is one of the best novels that I've read this year. It was so good that I could hardly put it down. I'm so excited that they made a movie version and it will be shown soon! I just hope the movie will do justice for the beautiful story. Don't forget your tissue!


*video source: Yurmamaismybitch of Youtube

twenty-seven.

It's finally here.

Just nine years ago, I blew eighteen bright sparkling candles from my three layered debut cake. Dressed in a ruffled, princess-like gown, I celebrated my coming of age with my closest friends and relatives. That year also marked the beginning of college life and a whole new world of discoveries for me.

This year, the celebrations were more intimate but mind you, there were just as meaningful. Looking back, my 26th year has been eventful. It really brought me all the HIGHs and a bit of LOWs.

I'd like to take a look back at the THREE greatest things that made a huge impact on my 26th year of existence:

1) FRIENDS.

Where will I be without them? I'm truly thankful to have the greatest friends on earth (make that both online and offline).

2) PASSION.

I am thankful to have a blog that allows me to unleash my passion for writing. Through this blog, I am lucky to have the opportunity to meet wonderful online friends who regularly drops by.

3) LOVE.

In 13 more months, I will be walking down the aisle of Sanctuario de San Jose towards the man who has been my pillar of strength, my shoulder to cry on and the love of my life for six happy years. Together, we will make a vow in front of God and our loved ones that we will stay together and will love each other forever and ever :) Boy, I CAN'T wait!